It's In My Blood
by Shin'tet
Summary: A father slain, a family in self-imposed exiled. Hermione pretends to be a Mugggleborn and enters Hogwarts with the added intention of making future influential allies so that she and her family may take back their rightful place in Wizarding Britain. Pureblood!Hermione. OneShot!


**It's in My Blood**

 **Final Round 2 Mandatory Prompt:** Pureblood Hermione

 **Team:** Pride of Portree

 **Position:** Chaser 1

 **Optional Prompts:**

2\. (narrative device) flashback

7\. (word) choice

13\. (word) temptation

 **AN:** Special thanks to CorvusDraconis and Story Please for ideas and enhancements, and to Moka-girl and Sehanine for edits.

* * *

Everyone calls me Hermione Granger, but that isn't my real name. Not very many people know that, and even fewer know what it was before it was Granger. My mother and father are Muggle dentists; at least, that is what everyone thinks.

I've always known it was a lie. A very elaborate, complex, and glorious lie, but a lie nonetheless.

Back before we were named Granger, my family was the last of the line of Selwyn. We were a proud family. Our bloodline was pure, and traced back to a handful of magic-wielders from a time before the Dark Ages. Back then, my family brought some of the only light into the darkness of the ignorance around us. We were like Prometheus—bringing fire to the poor, scared, untalented normal folk. Our family and a handful of others tamed our will and energy into what we desired. We created the foundation of what eventually became known as magic.

But like most things that are taken for granted, once they are given to the masses, magic use spread to those outside our families. Soon there were muggleborn children gifted in the use of magic, though they had never once touched a wand in their entire lives.

While families such as mine struggled to make sense of it, more and more people became "blessed" with magic. Schools were created. Governments were formed to organise the increasing number of people, and then, one day, magic in the world withdrew from the mundane. Magic was limited to the Wizarding world. Everything else was given to the "Muggles," these poor humans who had never known a lick of magic in their lives.

My father, proud and righteous, was tired of being forgotten in the annals of Wizarding history. He joined the Death Eaters—the dark knights of a man who would be a Dark Lord. He was caught, and rather than expose his family to the shame, he made the choice to Obliviate himself to protect us. My mother fled with me into the Muggle world, a place where no one would suspect any self-respecting Pureblood family to go.

My mother, ever concerned of appearances, went to a Muggle school to orient herself, and then a Muggle University to complete the role. She played the part well. After all, due to her magical nature, she remained looking young enough to fit the part.

She met a fellow student named Richard Granger. Together they became Doctors of Dentistry. They married. The day after the wedding, my mother cast a special spell upon him, and Dr Richard Granger believed I was the daughter he had always had. The love was genuine, or so my mother had claimed. He had loved me long before the charm had woven his memories into thinking I was his child. Though she used no magic on me, and I remembered my biological father, I found that when I imagined my father's face, it was Richard Granger's face I saw.

In secret, my mother continued to teach me the ways of the magical world. She taught me customs and etiquette, which I absorbed like a sponge, clamoring to know more. She taught me how to belong, and perhaps, even more importantly, she taught me how to be something I wasn't, how to pretend to be just ignorant enough to pass as Muggle-born. There would a time, she said, when we would be able to reclaim our family name, but until that time, I was to have other concerns. I couldn't give in to the temptation of revealing who I was to the world before the time was right.

Stepping onto the Hogwarts Express was a pivotal moment for me—my first real step towards independence. The train was also where I would begin to form my first friendships, future alliances, and bonds that would last a lifetime. At least, that's what mother had told me.

I was dragging my trunk down the aisle of the train, looking for an empty compartment, when one of the doors slid open.

"Trevor?" A boy about my age poked his head out, looking down the corridor. Once he turned and spotted me, he let out a noise, somewhere between a greeting and a 'wait-don't-go-anywhere'.

' _Must be wondering where his friend went,_ ' I guessed.

The boy quickly shuffled over to me, and looked at me with pleading hazel eyes. "H-have you seen Trevor? He's a toad."

' _He looks so… pitiful,_ ' I thought. "Er, no. I haven't seen a toad."

His face turned from worried and hopeful to worried and downcast.

"But I can help you look for him if you'll share your compartment," I swiftly offered.

"R-really? You would?" He asked in surprise.

"Honestly, has anyone ever been able to tell you 'no'?" I asked, half out of sheer curiosity and half out of impatience, as I put my trunk in the compartment. Shutting the door, I looked at him to see that he had ducked his head.

I sighed. "I'm Hermione," I introduced, extending my hand. "Granger," I added as an afterthought. ' _In case he asks for my last name later, and I spill the secret._ '

 **x** _ **Flashback**_ **x**

" _Remember, you are a Granger now," my mum said firmly. "That is who the school, your friends, everyone will know you as. We cannot risk our family name being revealed to the public."_

" _I know, Mum," I groaned. "You're always telling me that. That we're the last of our family left, that with bad people like Mr. Malfoy and Miss Umbridge in the Ministry we won't be safe out in the open, especially if the Dark Lord isn't really gone," I recited._

 _My mother's eyes darkened a bit at the mention of the woman who claimed the Selwyn heritage after Father died in the war and Mum took us into hiding. She looked at me sternly, "All it takes is one slip-up to get people asking questions, dear. Always—"_

" _Think before I speak," I droned exasperatedly. I did have some trouble with that sometimes, but I'd been working on it._

 _Mum sighed, and shrank my trunk with a wave of her wand before giving me a slight smile. "Come then, let's catch your train."_

 _She took my hand. I gripped hers tightly, and we were gone with a pop._

 _ **x**_ _ **Flashback**_ _ **x**_

"I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom." The shy boy took my offered hand and gave it a shake as I shook myself out of my reverie.

' _Longbottom. Mother told me Purebloods held themselves with dignity…_ ' I thought, a little confused by what I heard and what I was seeing. "Nice to meet you, Neville. I expect we shall be fast friends."

With our awkward meeting and proper greetings out of the way, we went in search of Trevor.

"By the way, why did you bring a toad of all things?" I asked my new friend.

"My Gran," he mumbled morosely, as if the two words explained everything.

I thought nothing of it when we entered the compartment with two boys-one with red hair and the other with messy black hair and glasses. Little did I know that I had just met two people who would change my life forever.

* * *

 _Five Years Later..._

The Sorting came to an end, and platters of food appeared for the Welcoming Feast.

It was the start of my fifth year at Hogwarts. I had been through much in the past four years. I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was a great relief. Given the choice, anything would've been better than Slytherin, being a known Muggleborn and all. I was also secretly glad that I wouldn't have to constantly worry about being recognized for one of the Selwyn family's known physical characteristics by one of the other pureblooded students.

School turned out to be everything I'd hoped for… and everything I could possibly dread. Somehow, I had become the best of friends with the most iconic wizard of the century-Harry Potter. Then again, it is hard _not_ to become friends after being saved from a mountain troll attack. I had formed connections through my friendships with people who I knew would grow to hold a great deal of political weight: Susan Bones, Neville Longbottom, and even Daphne Greengrass.

But what really made me feel proud of myself were my grades. My marks were consistently at the top of my year, though I still maintained that Divination and Flying should be electives and not mandatory subjects.

However, there had been a number of problems that had nothing to do with academics.

In first year, there was the Dark Lord strolling around the castle on the back of Professor Quirrell's head. Second year, I managed to get myself petrified by a basilisk who was running amok in the castle. Luckily, I had done enough research to realize that seeing the basilisk's eyes in a reflection would not be fatal. In my third year, I helped to rescue the last remaining namesake of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black from a dementor's kiss, which should prove useful in the future once the threat of the Dark Lord's return is finally stamped out, and Sirius Black can finally be acquitted of murder charges and return to his rightful place in society.

Additionally, Professor McGonagall had shown me the perks of time-traveling. I was only allowed to travel back two hours at a time, but the implications were astonishing. Coming face-to-face with a feral werewolf and watching Harry fight off Dementors dampened my outlook on that year, but we escaped mostly unscathed.

Luckily, I mostly spent fourth year helping Harry survive his various ordeals as a champion, but it had come as a nasty shock when Cedric Diggory turned up dead by Voldemort's hand, even as the Ministry continued to deny that it was true. Now, more than ever, it would be imperative to maintain my cover. As my mother has always warned: "The Dark Lord doesn't take kindly to deserters. He has been known to torture and kill for less."

My knowledge of the magical world and magic itself was broadening beyond what I ever thought was possible, even with my mother's library and her nightly teachings. I did have to face certain death more than once, but as my mother always says, "Selwyns are survivors."

The drone of voices faded to silence as Professor Dumbledore approached his podium for his customary welcome speech to the students before everyone began to eat. My mind wandered, thinking back to the past four years of speeches and the new Defense professor introduced each time.

"...Dolores Umbridge. I'm sure you will all join me in wishing the professor good luck. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind—"

" _Hem! Hem!_ "

I was stunned. There, dressed in a horrid shade of pink, was the… _woman_ who had stolen my heritage. She stood brazenly in front of the Headmaster's podium to give her own speech, summarily stating that our incompetent Ministry would be taking the reins where it came to teaching.

' _Fudge,_ ' I gritted my teeth as the outrage grew with every additional ' _hem hem'_. By the end of her horrid speech, I was surprised that my eyes hadn't burnt a hole in that pink toad's forehead. ' _That incompetent fool of a Minister is going to doom us all, and that horrible toad of a woman is_ _going to be his instrument here at school._ '

The temptation to speak up and object only got greater, but I knew her kind. She had come with the staff and students already separated from herself and the Ministry as enemies. Our opinions were of no consequence to her.

* * *

' _Reckless, Hermione. Reckless,_ ' I berated myself as Harry as I led the pink toad with a wand into the Forbidden Forest.

I had been trying to be clever, and spoke before I could fully formulate a plan. When she'd admitted to being both able and willing to use the Cruciatus curse, I had simply blurted it out. After all, I could not let my friends be tortured in front of me. It was obvious from her twisted, toad-like grin that she was enjoying forcing us to clear a path through the underbrush. I had to admit, though, as pathetic as a my "secret weapon" excuse was, it actually worked pretty well to get her away from the castle.

' _Until she discovers it was just made up,'_ I thought wryly.

It was then that I remembered Grawp. If I had to choose between Hagrid's half-brother and the feral acromantulas that Harry had told me all about from his second year, it seemed a better idea to go towards the monster who knew me by my name...well...Hermy was good enough, I reasoned.

As we began to walk towards Grawp's hiding place, though, I heard the sound of many thundering feet, and it was only seconds before an entire group of centaurs had us surrounded.

Harry's eyes were wide with fear behind his glasses, but I simply shut my eyes and thought hard back to that tome on centaurs that my mother had me study the summer before.

"What is this?" Umbridge's voice was a shrill, hysterical whine. She began pointing her wand from centaur to centaur, while they pawed the ground, their human faces glaring down at us.

I almost smirked, but did my best to hold it in.

Instead, I kneeled to the ground and pulled Harry down with me.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Hermione," he hissed out of the side of his mouth as he complied.

Averting my eyes, I made the sign of Sagittarius to the leader of the centaurs. I must have done it correctly, for the leader snorted loudly like a horse and said "Rise, young one. Your distress has been noted. We shall assist, for young ones are always to be protected."

I raised my head towards the leader but averted my eyes, staring at his shoulder-blades- a custom kept by centaur for many centuries. This earned me a murmur of impressed surprise from the other centaurs.

"We have been led here under duress," I said quietly, "We did not wish to intrude upon your most sacred of forests. Unfortunately, the High Inquisitor has decided that forcing defenseless, wandless students through the forest at night is her new favorite activity. We would appreciate any assistance that you could offer so that we may leave in peace."

There was an angry murmur from the crowd about the mistreatment of foals, and Umbridge found herself being hoisted up by the shoulders by two of the tallest centaur, their horse-like ears flat against their heads as they glared at her.

The horrid toad began to scream and flail, her wand uselessly pointed at the ground as strong arms held her in place.

"Go in peace, my foals. We shall mete out an adequate consequence for this miserable human," the lead centaur said, bowing his head slightly.

Harry and I bowed low to the ground and made our way back through the dark forest, our way made slightly easier by all of the broken branches we'd been forced to press through on our way into the forest.

Umbridge was found at the edge of the forest the next morning, curled in the fetal position, her eyes wide with terror as she mumbled nonsense to herself. She was deemed unfit to work in her position and Professor McGonagall took over Headmaster duties for the rest of the month. It was only after we lost Sirius to the Death Eater raid in the Ministry that Fudge finally relented, and Dumbledore was allowed to return.

I was certain to bring a basket of vegetables and simple stone-ground bread to the edge of the forest every Friday for the rest of the school year: an offering of thanks to the centaur for helping rid us of that terrible woman. I never asked them what they'd done to her, but I'd read the books, and a part of me wondered if the same evil that seemed to run in the blood of Pure-blooded lines had also corrupted me.

I tried to soothe myself with the thought that at least we were fighting against an ultimate evil-Voldemort. However, as I looked back on my fifth year and all of the damage I'd done to those around me, I began to wonder if magic had changed me more than I was willing to admit.


End file.
